WOW NZ

Babs here from Tasmania.

After weeks of dry it rained rain... on the day after our friends Dave and Julie had arrived from New Zealand, all set to enjoy some dry weather and Tasmania's beautiful walks.
Queen Eliazabeth Cape walk was decided upon and as there was a possibility of showers we took our lightweight rain coats and sweatshirts.Well it poured at times and was chilly so our lightweight gear wasn't so brillant but at least we had something to wear otherwise it would have a quick retreat back to the ute.
It's a great walk with a variation of track
conditions and stunning views. For those who dont want to do the whole walk the first part to the beach is easy and at low tide a climb around the rocks gets you to a stunning beach. If the tide is too high there is a long track up and over the top of the cliffs which we came back along. We hadn't planned the tide very well so our clamber over the rocks was a challenge for me who doesn't like heights. They are nice and grippy though ..... Already wet from the odd wave we carried along the beach and into the sandhills for lunch.By now it was pouring and the temperature had dropped dramatically....
The walk is not steep but the tracks are thick soft sand in many places which is tiring to walk on.
We all enjoyed the walk but a hot bath and sitting in front of fire once we returned home was wonderful too after what was a
longer wetter and colder walk than we'd thought it would be !

Babs here from Bruny Island Tasmania

We are enjoying our first summer in Tasmania since we sailed away in June 2016.(That was a freezing cold Tasman passage, but the forecast was perfect - our calmest trip across the Tasman - but due a nasty low to our North we changed course for Bluff instead of Nelson as planned.)
So here we are back on Bruny Island enjoying a Tasmanian summer.Last night we walked down to Duck Haven where keep our dinghy when New Zealand Maid is here. We lived on our mooring in Barnes Bay for a couple of years before moving into the marina in Kettering, 2005. Those early morning rows ashore in dark, fog and frost sometimes were past of my daily commute. I'd often arrive at work still in gumboots and wet weather gear ! It was very seldom that the bay was too rough for me to row my wee dinghy.
Last night it was a beautiful walk with the full moon and the vibrant sunset.The track needs some minor clearing and the tiny Duck Haven launching beach has filled up with oysters so we'll clear them before launching our inflatable kayaks. Season greetings to all.

Babs here from Opua

We are back onboard after our trip to Alaska and Canada. Our trip up to Myra Falls on Vancouver Island was a bonus as we only went there on the advice of a local who we happened to sit next on the plane from Whitehorse to Victoria.
It was worth the effort as the road wound its way up the river valley and along lakes through forest that became thicker and more diverse as ventured further into the wilderness.
It not a touristy place and off the beaten track.The campsite was nestled in coniferous forest on the edge of the lake and by a river.There were very few campers and they were spread around the area in private campsites each with its own fire pit and table with bush all around. There were toliets regularly placed and huge handpumps for drinking water.The local park ranger who we talked too said there were no bears as the salmon dont come this far up the river and its too cold for berries so they relocate to where the food is to fatten up for hibernation. That was relief as we'd had to leave our bear spray in Whitehorse (with our new found friends from Haines who were about to head home before the snow set in ).Our car did get invaded though by a squirrel which had fun all night nibbling on our food.....
After packing up our camp we headed further up the valley to the Myra Falls.Due to a very dry summer threy were small compared to normal but still worth the effort.We of course went exploring and enjoyed some great walking of the main tracks.Our chatty local on the plane had told us about these locals only tracks.

With Mount White Station – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

Babs here from Skagway Alaska

When I read about Bartletts Cove in Gustavus I instantly wanted to visit.There are many free campsites nestled along the coast amongst the rainforest. It looks out into Glacier Bay which is an area only accessible by boat and has the most wonderful glaciers down to the sea. Sadly the boat tours finished early in September but the area is so fascinating in so many other ways that we were more than happy to explore the area by foot.
We only had 2 nights camped there (due to ferry timetables and connection challenges for departing Alaska) as travel options shut down for the winter. So our day there was busy.The walk near the campsite goes through what looks like old growth forest to us but is new forest ( started to form when the Glacier receeded in the late 1700's ). It's rich and diverse, full of moss and fungi and damp and with so many rich greens. It reminded me of an art assignment when I was an Art Teacher Student. We had to do an abstract kind of painting in all greens. How much more exciting it would have if I had seen this forest with its many subtle shapes and shades !
The fungi were too eye catching for me to resist so it was what Jon calls a 'lame duck walk' as I stopped constantly to take photos. One of my art majors was photography. All black and white as I could develop the photos at home myself.
But these fungi wouldn't look as wonderful in black and white.... I felt like I was in a magical fairy land.

Babs here from Sitka

After last night's excitement with wind, rain and gentle swells making sleeping difficult in a tent taped to the ship's aft deck, it was great to arrive at Sitka . The ferry berthed at 5 am while it was still dark so we lay in our battered tent enjoying the calm until it was light enough to walk ashore.The ferry dock is a 2.5 hour walk away from Sitka and as we only had 2 hours that wasn't an option. Near the ferry are some walks into the forest. It was our first walk in Alaskan rainforest as all the other ports we'd stopped at had been very industrial. It was stunning. Some of the mosses and ferns look like those in New Zealand but the trees are conifers and pines.There are several campsites nearby nestled in the forest along the water edge. It would be a great place to spend a few days.

Babs here from Wrangell Alaska

Wow what a blast the last few days have been ! We have had perfect weather so far and life onboard is fun. People are super friendly and the astmophere is relaxed and casual.The scenery has been an amazing vista of blues, greens and rich orange and yellows when the sun sets.We've seen whales, orcas and bears.
The days have been sunny and warm and the night clear and chilly.The wind builds up about 2am for a couple of hours and last night it was a bit wild.Flapping tents sounded like out of control sails. Most tents stayed taped to the ship's deck but this morning some people have taken them down and moved their beds into the solarium as it's going to rain tonight. We will see how we go !
Today at 5.00 am we stopped at Ketchikan and went ashore for a short walk. Soon we are berthing at Wrangell and will be able to go ashore for 30 minutes. The ferry stops at these places to drop off and pick up passengers
It's such a wonderful experience so far. I already want to do it again !

Babs here from Port Bellingham.USA

A snapshot of our trip so far from New Zealand to Alaska.We flew to Vancouver and stopped for one night in a youth hostel in the city. From the airport to the city is an amazing train with no driver ! It was an 8 minute walk to the hotel along tree-lined streets which was pleasant as it was very warm and our packs were heavy ....
Our room was on a corner with distant views and though tiny felt roomy and it was clean and comfortable.
The next morning it was a 20 minute walk to the bus/ train station to Bellingham/ Seattle.We were catching the bus as the train left at 7 am, which was too early for us. The walk was hot but we had plenty of time so we had regular rests under trees and enjoyed the water front views. It was a relief though to arrive at the bus station and board the bus.We have tried to keep our packs light but camping gear adds up even though it's all lightweight. Also it could snow where we are going so we need clothes for that and today it's hot so they are all in our packs....
The bus trip in general is not very interesting except for crossing the border where we were finger printed and photographed. No camping gear was checked (or our food) though which surprised us.
Bellingham is a very pretty area with the city nestled amongst the trees with mountains behind and the sea on the other side. Its cloudy so the mountains can't been seen but we've met friendly locals who chatted about how beautiful they are, and all the walking tracks and camping spots they have been to. One gave us preloaded bus cards as we struggled to find cash for the bus!.
We are now at Port Bellingham waiting to board our ferry to Alaska which travels up the Inner water way to Juneau. We will pitching our tiny tent on the deck and duck taping it down which apparently is what you do !
Our packs now are not much fun to carry with a week of food loaded into them but fortunately we haven't had much walking to do. Certainly if I was going on a long tramp I'd need to do a lot more training, but all in all I'm pleased with how it's going.
It's been a learning curve to be in USA - the bathroom taps only worked by being pulled up and we had trouble with our door card key plus we struggled in the supermarket to find food we wanted. I was glad we had bought with us dehydrated NZ tramping meals as we know they are easy to cook with just hot water as we can't use our Trangia cooker on the ferry.They have hot water onboard so all our meals are designed to be made by adding it.
It will be an experience camping on a ship ...

Babs here from Opua

So what is on my mind? That I am heading to Alaska and Canada next week for a backpacking & camping holiday and I've hardly done any walking lately ! Life got in the way .... and its a weak excuse not to walk but sometimes it's all too much. My mum always says " One door shuts and another opens " and sometimes it just works out that things don't go as planned. However the riches of the door that opens can be huge.
Our plans to sail to Alaska fell through but it allowed us to be here for my parents (who are also best friends). They needed us to support them into the next stage of their lives as old age was catching up with them.Dad has just move into the hospital part of the retirement village and Mum is still in their unit (in the huge building).They are very close and this has been huge for them - like it is for many. We all have it ahead for us. It has been a privilege to be part of my parents struggle to adapt to this new norm and to learn from their strength as they move from one day to the next with the challenges they face. As I packed my backpack today I thought of all the trips we did as a family when we were younger, tramping and camping .....thanks Mum and Dad.

Babs here from Army Bay.

Its been hard to look at my photos of our Wilderness Trail Bike Ride since my bike was stolen in Stoke. We usually lock our bikes but were silly enough to think they were safe parked just outside the lounge window and in sight while visiting my parents in a Retirement Village ! Now I'm over the horrible experience I can see the postive side and be grateful it happened after our planned rides. It was a new bike to me and I'd become very fond it dispute falling of 3 times. All slow falls on corners which I am still struggling to master. It was a very different beast to my hybrid bike but even on that bike ( which is light and has smaller wheels) I found corners hard. I've read up on the technique but tend to go stiff and put the brakes on ....then of course I tip over ! It was wonderful though to have an ebike for the uphill, times when extra speed is useful and to be able to cover more miles. It's amazing though how much work is still needed to keep the bike going as the electric engine only works when pedaling. We also like to reduce the amount of power used so the battery doesn't need to be charged often as our van doesn't have a big capacity for recharging them, and we like to avoid camping grounds.
The Wilderness Trail is a very enjoyable ride with different types of tracks and scenery to make it interesting. There wasn't much snow on the mountains but we had no wind and it was mild which was a bonus in the middle of winter !

Babs here from Nelson

My plans to enjoy riding my bike have been rewarded with a great deal of fun, skill improving and fitness. After enjoying riding the bike tracks around Nelson (which are so well designed that almost anywhere can be reached without riding on busy roads) we decided to enjoy the settled weather and head south to try some mountain-bike trails.
One that has been on my list for a while was in the Arthur's Pass area - the Poulter Track.This MBT / walking track could become most unpleasant and potentially dangerous in the wrong weather and during our last trip to the area it snowed to the river level. This time it was mild with no wind or rain forecast and with virtually no snow to be seen.The river level was the lowest we've ever seen so it seemed like the perfect time to try it out.
The road up had 2 fords to cross which posed no problems in this weather and we hoped the streams we needed to bike through also were low. If not we'd turn around ..... Once parked and the bikes unloaded we set off along the old 4wd track. Old it is, and floods have washed parts of it away which meant we needed to go down into the main river flats and bike across sections of the river. The remaining track is very lumpy with large stones. mud from pig rooting and many small creeks and streams to try and cross. It was a challenge for us new to mountain biking but our ebikes were great and riding up such an amazing valley was exciting but hard work with steep terraces and spurs to traverse, even with electric assisting. No way we could have done it on our old bikes. We didn't get to the hut which is the end of the trail but we covered the hardest part.
Turning around was a hard decision, but the days are so short and we needed to get back to the van before dark.
The trip back ended up being much quicker as our skills had improved so much already and we found an easier route through the river flats which meant less riding on the river itself. Next time our plan is to come with friends when the days are longer and get to the hut. It's an amazing area to to be in.

Babs here from Nelson
# WOWnewzealandmaid
I'm back on Nelson after a few weeks of not much walking.While Jon was delivering a yacht back to Brisbane I was on our yacht, sick with covid.Thankfully I had some very kind friends who helped me, and once I was able to get out of bed we went up to their family holiday house while I recovered. I certainly haven't felt very energetic since then, and am annoyed that much of my hard worked-for fitness has gone !

But I am now enjoying riding my bike again as I can just sit and pedal. We have upgraded up to E mountain bikes so it can be as easy as I need to enjoy it. I 'm finding that the battery is lasting for a long time as the bike rides around Nelson are flat, but being heavier and not step through like my old bike it's been nice to have these flat rides to adjust.

Our plans are to enjoy some of the easier mountain-bike tracks at Lake Rotoiti ( not walking up Mt Robert again just yet !) and some of the West Coast rides too.

It's wonderful to be able to enjoy these gorgeous Nelson winter days. Our winter has gone very differently to what we had planned but our plans to visit Alaska are still happening but as a camping holiday instead of by yacht. I have until September to get fit again so I can make the most of the the many walks I 'd like to do. At the moment my new ebike is a step in that process. Happy winter walking and enjoying the outdoors to all.

Babs here from Nelson

We enjoyed some wonderful walks in the Abel Tasman Park while we were in the area. Normally in such calm settled weather we'd be out exploring the inlets and bays in our kayaks or dinghy but as we had acess to neither we made the most of being dropped ashore from the yacht we were on.The views were great and the temperature was very pleasant for walking. Our last cruise here ( on our own yacht a few years ago ) was during summer, so walking was a very hot sweaty experience.
There are many delightful camping sites along the track and we wished we had our tent and tramping gear to be able to make the most of this opportunity when we didn't have to worry about our yacht left on anchor on her own.
We are now in Nelson waiting for weather to sail to Opua.
The sailing trip to Alaska is off now for good and our friends' yacht will be returning to Australia. We meanwhile have booked a September camping trip to Alaska to coincide with a friend's wedding.
So it although it was disappointing not to be able explore some of the Abel Tasman coast again, it was a bonus to spend more time walking and meeting so many happy families and overseas tourists enjoying this stunning part of New Zealand.
For me I was rapt to have walked so far especially after so much sitting around in a yacht.

Babs here from Cook Strait

We have a change of plans and won't be heading offshore for now. After clearing customs in Wellington we headed out in what soon became a 30kt plus SE'ly ( on the nose and meant to be a 15kt E'ly ). Just south of Cape Campbell one of the crew had a serious medical issue which required returning for treatment at Wellington Hospital and guess what - the wind switched suddenly to 30kts NE'ly. Fortunately this yacht sails brilliantly to windward ( unlike our old gaffer) and with motor going now as well we were soon in lee of the Bearing Head which made life more comfortable.
We are now heading to the Sounds / Abel Tasman area now for some R&R before heading North to Opua.
It's flat calm out here and pea soup conditions.
Once on anchor I hope to be enjoying more walks and they will be in our beautiful New Zealand instead of French Polynesia.

Babs here from Wellington

We crossed Cook Stait yesterday to clear customs on Wednesday on our friends yacht 'Cachalot of Hobart' which we are sailing to Tahiti.The owners are long term friends and cruising buddies in our seperate yachts.Taff and I walked years ago together around Wellington when our yachts were berthed in Chaffers Marina but walking in the Marlbourgh Sounds was always a pleasure when we would sail over for holidays.
Mistletoe Bay is a perfect place to spend time especially with children on board and there is plenty of grass for them run around on, a creek to play in and walks to enjoy - one over to Te Mahia particularly as the shop has ice creams !
There is now a lovely Eco camping ground and cabins there with a floating jetty plus toliets and showers that yachties ( or other visitors ) can use.The walks are all clearly marked and with the regrowth bush and some patches of original the walks are very pretty. Views glimpse through the trees on the lookout walk which is a grunt but well worth it with stunning views in all directions.
It's been a wonderful unexpected treat to be able to enjoy our old cruising grounds for a couple of days.

Babs from Queen Charlotte Sound

Yesterday was a true 'Walk Ourselves Well' day.
It was a stunning morning in Ship Cove, where we had spent the night on board Cachalot of Hobart after a very calm and beautiful trip from Nelson the previous day.
We were all tired and stressed after last minute provisioning and boat jobs in the hope the forecast would be ready for us to leave for Tahiti. Any walking we'd done was basically around supermarkets and rushing up to closeby shops if our borrowed car was in use. Not food for the soul at all but very necessary to be very well organized for a 2600nm passage across what can be challenging conditions.
As the forecast predictions clarified and showed strong headwinds we decided to make the most of the delay and wait it out here - a place we all love and have cruised extensively.
Ship Cove is a memorial to Cook's voyages where he visited the bay 5 times for water, food and repairs. It has been upgraded over the years and has lovely picnic tables, a shelter and toilets plus an informative interpretation board. Access is by foot or boat (Picton has boats which regularly drop off and pick up) and the Queen Charlotte track starts or finishes there depending which way you choose to walk.
The track up to the lookout point has been rebuilt and is now an easy steady uphill track which takes about an hour. It's used be a gut buster- straight up the hill and with tree roots and big rocks to step over.The views are stunning.
There are 4 of us onboard 'Cachalot of Hobart' for this sailing adventure , and stress levels were still high as we prepared to go ashore. After we returned we were all feeling so relaxed and pleased that we had put the constant list of little jobs aside and made the most of this opportunity. We have a few days before we can leave for Tahiti and the jobs can be done when the weather deteriorates over the next couple of days. We all feel now we need to accept that our plans need to stay flexible and it's important to enjoy our journey rather than focus totally on needing get to get somewhere by a fixed date. We have what amounts to about 60 -70 days at sea to complete our aim to get to Alaska this season.

Babs here from Nelson

Rainy days .....we haven't had many recently which has been wonderful. After sailing from Southport (Goldcoast) to Nelson via Lord Howe we have been busy catching up on much needed maintance on our own yacht back in Opua. We had glorious weather with only one rainy day which we enjoyed to letting our tired bodies recover and go to our dentist appointments without wasting a sunny day. "A perfect day for it" said Jon as we sat in our dinghy in the pouring rain.I laughed as most people wouldn't agree but it was calm and we weren't able to work on the boat anyway.
We are now back in Nelson doing our last preparations for the next leg of our voyage on 'Cachalot of Hobart' to Tahiti. We plan to leave in a couple of days if the weather is OK so it's busy. Our one rainy day we all felt like curling up with our books but instead Taff and I decided to walk into town as Jon and Nick had the borrowed car. It was very wet and even with wet weather gear on we were soaked but it was mild and we enjoyed the different colors and light after so many beautiful sunny days. It's a very pleasant walk from the Nelson Marina to the city along Maitai River on a shared bike/ walking track with gardens and artwork along the way.

Babs here from Nelson

It's great to be back in New Zealand safely, after our Tasman crossing in a yacht. We left Southport Qld full of excitement after a challenging 2 weeks of preparation. Lord Howe was our next stop and the forecast looked good. It was a dead ahead wind so we motorsailed all the way. It made for a fast and comfortable trip.
Lord Howe has moorings which yachts use which are inside the reef. Its shallow and still very exposed and unless it's low tide the swell breaks over the reef. Our first day was beautiful but we were all tired so we just enjoyed a quiet time going ashore and wandering around the main areas. Plenty of time for snorkeling and enjoying the beautiful beaches we thought, as we'd planned to stay several days.The front due through was meant to be brief and not too windy so we didn't rush to make the most of the nice weather. It was good weather for boat jobs too - nothing major but there are always a list !
The front did arrive and it was rough on the mooring. At times it was gusting 47kts and getting ashore was a challenge. Sleep also was. Forecasts became our focus.... more cyclones developing and do we stay or go. It takes time and energy to plan. We didn't want to stay and have one hit us here but also didn't want one at sea. To head to Opua as planned was now going to be a 2 week wait at least. Great plenty of time to enjoy the walks etc but .... we cracked jokes about heading to Nelson.
Meanwhile we managed some short walks. Ned's Beach is amazing with fish close in to swim with and in settled weather it would be a stunning snorkeling spot.The roads have very few cars as most people bike or walk.The houses are tucked into bush out of sight and it's peaceful. No one is in a rush.The bush tracks wind gently through the trees and its so relaxing away from the rocking pitching yacht.
The shops are very few and many are only open part days or only a day or 2 a week.Tourist numbers are keep low so nowhere is busy. There are plenty of rubbish bins, gas Bbqs and wood fired ones with wood all chopped and replenished every morning.Toliets are clean and there is no rubbish anywhere.
Taff and I planned our activities for when the weather improved. Heading to Nelson was still a joke .... then Metbob ( our weather advisor) suggested it as an option. It's seemed like a sensible. Suddenly we were getting prepared to leave. It continued to blow until overnight and then it was perfect as we prepared to head out through the reef. We need to get going to make the most of the weather window. The snorkeling gear which took with us from NZ never came out of the locker.
Lord Howe is, we all agreed a place to visit by plane. Nick, Jon and I have visited by yacht before and each time it's been a challenge weatherwise. It's the ultimate peaceful escape from the fast spaced world and is very beautiful.

Babs here from Southport Brisbane

This morning we clear customs and head for Lord Howe which I 'm excited about.There are some amazing walks to enjoy there.
Our berth at Boatworks after we came of the slip was an area which is full of super yacht berths and had lovely park like gardens plus a very posh huge building for the owners and their guests !
Hopefully my next post will from Lord Howe.

Babs here from Coomera Gold Coast QLD

This mornings walk was an experience.Here in Coomera at Boatworks there is acres of concrete, the roads are hot and treeless and walking isn't much fun. The ground radiates heat like an open oven door which soon makes you drip with sweat.Jon and walked to Nuts and Bolts to get a few fastenings for the yacht and thankfully it was still early and some shade was to be had from the fences along side the grass verge. As we leave the smell of antifouling whafts around mixed with the fishy smell of boats bring water-blasted off after being lifted out and along the road the large boat building factories emitt expoxy type smells ...
We have never been to such a huge area of handstands and associated marine industry.
It's like a huge Noddy Town with workers whizzing in little vehicles, tradies in utes, forklifts and massive travels lifts passing each other. Although there are painted footpaths and pedestrian crossings walking is an exercise in dodging around all the these as they don't take much notice of walkers. The cold water dispenser is a place that is busy too, as everyone refills their water bottles with ice cold water.
Several times a day we have a cold showers in the very clean and upmarket showers.Evenings can be spent at one of the many covered BBQ and dinning room areas.The TV / lounge kitchen is popular with parents and children doing school work as it air - conditioned and for us if we have an excuse to sit there in the cool.
Wednesday we go into the water and stay in the marina a few days while finishing some small boat jobs and provisioning. The yard has 3 cars and a ute which can be borrowed for this.
Saturday we hope to head for New Zealand.

Babs here from Brisbane

The adventure has started.... We did wonder at one stage if we would ever get out of New Zealand with the bad weather warnings and State of Emergency called in Auckland and Northland at the time of our departure. One downside of living on a boat on a mooring is weather dictates going ashore. An important dental appointment meant a trip ashore which we timed at slack water between the 40 kt gusts. Ok going downwind in our wee dinghy but no good going back so that night we opted to stay to stay ashore.Thankfully it eased the next morning and we could head our and collect our bags for our trip to Brisbane to help sail our friends' yacht to NZ.
Kerikeri Airport closed as we flew out, our luggage took 1.5 hours to unload and our flight to Brisbane was delayed 5 hours as the plane had to turn around due to a valve issue (!?) which was replaced in Brisbane. Meanwhile in Auckland the weather warnings continued with thunder and more heavy rain that evening. Finally on the plane and another hour wait as they had a luggage issue .....Brisbane at last and due to a very quick trip through customs etc we managed to catch the last train into the city.That hotel bed under the air-conditioning was wonderful as a heat warning had now been issued for this area Our early morning walk around Riverside was very pleasant. Its a beautiful area if anyone is ever in Brisbane it's worth doing but oh so hot and people were running ! We dripped with sweat and what a relief to get back to hotel and have a cold shower, change into fresh clothes sort out of bags under a the cool of the air-conditioning. Soon it was time to catch the taxi to the rail station down to Boat Works which is 5 star yard down near the Gold Coast to the yacht which is on the slip having some major jobs done before the Tasman Trip which is the first leg of our next leg on our way to further afield.
It's very hot but the heatwave has gone thankfully but it's still unpleasant. Early morning and evening are the only time to walk. Here it's in the middle of nowhere with no nice walks but we are enjoying walking looking at all the yachts.Ww hope to head of to New Zealand mid week next week via Lord Howe Island.There are a few challenging hill walks there which I'm keen to try.